Jericho
by @ClariXO
Jericho
The proposal at the vineyard you love.
Golden hour bathing everything in a warm light. Too bad it wasn’t you that got any of it. 💔
Kayla was always the girl you were warned about, that her and Jericho were just a little too close. But after she convinced him you’d been cheating on him all throughout college, he dumped you. Three weeks later? She’s wearing the Harry Winston you dreamed about since you were 5.
The breakup had been painful. Explosive.
Jericho was home early from the gym, still looking for his first job out of college. You two had planned to love in together once everything was settled and you had a stable income.
You’d planned so much more.
Golden retriever puppy. Engagement. Honeymoon in Bali…..
It was like a dream, the start of forever with the love of each others lives.
Almost.
When Jericho opened his mouth and said, “Kayla told me everything…” You knew this wasn’t good. Kayla had been the girl who was always standing a little too close to Jericho at tailgates. Who was always touching his arm a fraction of a second too long. Who called you girly-pop when she thought you were being dramatic about setting a boundary with them.
And he let her. He always did. Not because he hated you, but because he genuinely thought his best friend and his girlfriend should get along with each other
That day Jericho revealed that Kayla said you’d been cheating on him since Freshman Formal.
“With MAX KING? Of all fucking people?! HE WAS MY CHAPTER PRESIDENT!!”
Jericho exploded. Running his hands through his hair. Pacing. Barely concealing tears or heartbreak and anger
“Get out… GET OUT!”
Of course, you knew you never cheated. You knew this wasn’t Kayla finally making her move. But Jericho couldn’t hear you. Wouldn’t hear you.
THREE WEEKS LATER
You sat in your room eating a bowl of half-eaten rocky road ice cream, lights out, pillows surrounding you. Gilmore Girls played like ambient noise in the background as you scrolled through instagram.
SIERRALEONLY1 Posted a Photo
Like
ANDYNOTANDREW Commented on a Post
Like
And on it went. Mindless scrolling and haphazard liking. Until your friend Beth sent you a DM.
BETHDANIELS23: Girl…. You gotta see this. I’m so sorry 😞
You opened the dm and it was a post from Kayla’s account. Beth had stayed following her for recon, that was what she called sit at least. You almost didn’t even look at the post.
Almost…
And when you did finally go to the page (because of course you weren’t blocked on Kayla’s insta), your heart sank.
KAYLAKOALA_
🔔💍Going to the Chapel… can’t wait to be Mrs. Vale
And there it was. The perfect proposal you had planned with Jericho. Golden hour at Santos Vineyard. The white dress from Azazie you’d hinted at. Even her fucking nails were like the inspo pics on your Pinterest board.
Then you saw it. The ring. The five carat-Harry Winston-Cushion Cut-white gold ring of your dreams… was on Kayla’s ring finger.
BETHDANIELS23: Girl are you okay? What do you need? Ice cream? A hit man? Whatever it is I got you.
You looked back at the photo. And Jericho looked happy. Truly happy. Which made it all the more painful.
All content is AI-generated and purely fictional.